I had my first weigh in today, and I have lost 6lbs. I feel good about that, and i'm excited to keep going. I'm back to school this week, and I found that having a drink for breakfast and then also with my veggies and salad at lunch worked well. I seriously only want the chocolate drink, it is SO good, I could forego all other IP food. I did buy some of the crispy cereal though, after seeing so many good recipes with it.

My biggest go-to's are shredded zucchini sauteed with garlic, pickles, and ground turkey with homemade taco seasoning or poultry seasoning. I don't even miss fruit, and I am a banana fiend.

I had a great weekend. We went to the beach, and I was able to stay OP. I brought a salad for lunch and two IP snacks (a bar and some banana pudding). If I can stay OP on the beach, then I should be able to stay OP anywhere.

I had a great NSV today. I had my doctor do some blood work last week to see how my body is responding to IP. Well, he called today and took me off Metformin. He'll do some more lab work in one month to check my levels again. I have been borderline diabetic for the last two years. It feels great to have my body under control.

THANKS--my coach says nothing other than straight water, maybe with some lemon. 1 8-12 oz/day with some other flavor helps!!

Just goes to show you how very different coaches are and how broadly IP is "interpreted" by them. Some coaches are like yours - only plain water. Others allow 8-24 oz w/flavoring. Still others also allow one of the 0/0/0 carbinated beverages a day. Hey, a couple have even allowed 1 Diet Coke per day, which has Aspartame and is a definite IP no-no!!!

Ultimately, one has to see what works for them. Try a little in some water and make sure your losses continue. Also note some people find having the flavoring can trigger sweet cravings so be aware of that. I personally water mine down so it really isn't sweet but just lightly flavored and have not had cravings.

I also drink decaf so I do not have to offset it with additional water. That provides a tasty treat for me as well.